Vehicle bolster center bearing



Dec. 13, 1932. H.F. FELLOWS 1,890,576

VEHICLE BOLSTER CENTER BEARING Filed NOV. 27, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 13, 1932. FELLOWS 1,890,576

VEHICLE BOLSTER CENTER BEARING Filed Nov. 27. 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E? I 3 2e .4 Z 25 .i: /7 26 Patented Dec. 13, 1932 UNITED STA ES 1 1,890,576 a f i Ar 1 iFFICE HOMER F. FELLQWS, 'OF SPRINGFIELD, MI S SOURI VEHICLE noLs'rEn QENTER BEARING Application filed November 27,1931. serial No. 577,555. r

' or fifth wheel, that shall comprise anti-fric- Y 'tionelements, such as balls or rollers, to facilitateturning of the vehicle. Heretofore, as far as I am aware, no vehicle of this type has embodied an anti-friction bearing in its fifth wheel, because the lateral movement of the body in drawing the vehicle over uneven terrainnecessitates a certain amount of freedom, or clearance for the movement of the king-pin, which movement could not be imparted to the anti-friction hearing as it would cause the latter to bind and render it inoperatime. In my improved construction of center hearing I have embodied an anti-friction bearing that is free from lateral stresses, although the body bolster isfree to yield, or oscillate, laterally. The manner in which I accomplish this object,together with other advantages that are inherent in the invention, will be better apparent from a detailed description of same in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which; 7

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a vehicle operated as a trailer and shown coupled to an ordinary pleasure automobile; Fig. 2 is a top plan ofthe front gear of the vehicle showing my improved bolster centerbearing embodiedtherein; Fig. 3 is an enlarged front elevation of the bolster center bearing and that part of the front gear and body bolster immediately associated therewith, the other parts being broken away; Fig. l is a vertical cross-section through the center sill of the front gear and the body bolster, as indicated i V by the line 4 l in Fig. 3, the parts compris mg the center bearing being left in elevation;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical cross-section.

through the vehicle front gear, as indicated by the line 55 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section through the vehicle front gear, as indicated by the line 6 6 of Fig. 2 7 is a top plan of the upper section of the anti-friction bearing housing; Fig. 8 is a top plan of the lower section of the anti-friction bearing housing; and Fig; 9 is an enlarged section of the antifriction bearing and housing similar to the section shown 'inFig. 6. 3

Referring to the drawings, T represents a light trailer. coupled in any satisfactory 1nanner to an automobile A. T he front gear G of 50 the trailer is or standard design comprising a sub-frame 1, on which cross sills2 and 2 are mounted. The trailer is.- provided with the usual tongue 3 removably attached to the front of the sub-frame 1. As above stated,

the inventionis comprised in the center hearing for the body bolster B, said center bearing being supplemented by what may be called a fifth wheel ring R which serves as a track for rollers 4', 42 mounted in brackets 5,5 depend ing from theibodybolster B. At the center of the middle sill2 of the front gear a flanged plate 6 is secured to serve as abase for lower housing member 7 encasing (in the present instance) a roller thrust bearing 8 of standard construction. Housing member 7 has a center boss 9 traversed by an opening 10and an annularjfiange 1 1v spaced from the boss 9 so as toprovide a channel12, in which'the thrust bearing 8 is snugly seated. Thrust bearing8 30 has the .usualiuppe'r and lower racew'ays 13 and 14 respectively, upper raceway13 carrying upper housing member 15, which is provided with a depending annular flange 15 enveloping flange 11'of thelower housing member 7. The bodybolster E rests upon upper housing member 15, a wear plate 16 being fixed to the under-side of the body bolster B and coming directly in contact withthe upper housing member 15. The housing member 15 has flanges 17, 17' disposed in spaced relation between which the holster Bis confined, saidflanges being provided with aligning slots 18,18 in which the crosshead 19 of king-pin 20 is seated. The king-pin 20 isL-secured to-the bolster B by the wear plate 16, which holds the head19 in the slots 21, 21 formed in side plates 22, 22, counter sunk in the sides ofthe bolsterB and secured thereto by rivets 23, The. slots 21,21 are slightly larger than the diameter of the head 19 andking-pin 20 so that, the bolster B may be free to oscillate about the head of the kingpin. 7 As heretofore stated, the bolster B has its wear plate 16 resting on the upper housing member 15, and in order to permit lateral oscillation of the bolster B the supporting surface 24 ofhousing member is cambered in a direction co-extensive with the bolster B (as show'nin Figs. 6 and 9). Thus, the bolster B is free to oscillate laterally, and as it does so the wear plate 16 rocks from side to side on the cambered supporting surfaceQl,

the head 19 of'the king-pin in the meantime maintaining the bolster B in its fixed center i posit on. Obviously the king-pin 20 is maintained perpendicular 'to the center sill 2' 7 through whichit passes, and since the antifriction hearing. is permanently fixed to the member 2 there willbe no relative movement 'between'the king-pin and the anti-friction I I There will be no possibility of the bearing. filltbfllClllOII bearingv to bind and become 1noperat ve, and no matter What the position of the bolster B it willcontinue to be freely a 7 course, theamount of lateral tilting permit- 7 tatable on the front gear of the vehicle.

' ted the body bolster B is limited by the rollers 4, 4,70ne of which will rest on the fifthwheel ,7

7 The sill 2 of thesub-frame and the bolster B are resiliently connected,'so far as vertical movement is concerned, by virtue of a coiled spring confined between a washer-26 held atthe lower end of king-pin 20 by nut 27,

. and a washer 28in contact with a bottom plate 29 secured to the under side of sill 2. It will be observed that the bolster B, king-pin 20 and cap housing 15 are so connected by the "'35 head 19 of the king-pin that they rotate in unison on the anti-friction bearing '8 said crosshead connection also serving to maintain signature. I

' I HOMER F. FELLOWS.

6* ring R ifthe tilting of the bolster is suilicient.

vertical alignment of the king-pin with re- 7 spect to the anti-friction bearing. The snug fit of the king pin in the opening 10 of the housing. member 7 further assures that the housing elements will be maintained in per pendicular alignment sothatvthere Will be no possibility ofthese elements .tiltingwith V the lateral rocking-of the bolster B.

From the foregoing. it will be apparent that I have provideda vehicle center bearing that is freely rotatable'on anti-friction elements and at the same time allows for flexibility between the bodybolster and the-wagon In otherword's, none of the advantages at present in :use in fifth'wheel construction a gear.

are sacrificed, While the additional advantage 9 of my invention is that it embodies anti-friction rolling support. a a

Having described my invention, I-claim: In combination; with a vehicle having a body bolster, a center bearing therefor, said center bearing including a housing having a base element and a cap element, anti-friction 

